Establishing Your New Routine

Dosing & Tips

IBRANCE and an aromatase inhibitor are taken orally in a 4-week cycle as a once-daily dose. For the first 3 weeks (21 days), you‘ll take one IBRANCE and one aromatase inhibitor pill, once a day. Then for the last week (7 days), you’ll take only one pill, once a day—an aromatase inhibitor. At the end of 4 weeks, the cycle will start over again. Your healthcare team will monitor your therapy throughout.

Even though you’ll stop taking IBRANCE for the last week of each cycle, an aromatase inhibitor should be taken every day throughout your therapy. It should even be taken if your healthcare team stops your treatment with IBRANCE or adjusts your dose. But before making any changes, check with your healthcare team to make sure you’re taking your prescriptions correctly.

Dosing Tracker

IBRANCE is taken orally over a 4-week cycle as a once-daily dose. For the first 3 weeks (21 days), you‘ll take one IBRANCE pill, once a day. Then for the last week (7 days), you won’t take IBRANCE. At the end of 4 weeks, the cycle will start over again. Your healthcare team will monitor your therapy throughout.

Fulvestrant is an intramuscular injection that is administered by your healthcare provider. Each treatment is given as 2 injections (for a 500-mg total dose). Fulvestrant requires 3 doses during the first month of treatment. Your healthcare provider will give you one dose on days 1, 15, and 29 of the first month and then a single dose once a month thereafter. Please refer to the chart above, and be sure to discuss scheduling your injection appointments with your healthcare team.

Dosing Tracker

What To Tell Your Doctor Before You Start

Your healthcare team will prescribe IBRANCE in combination with either an aromatase inhibitor or fulvestrant.

Before taking IBRANCE, it’s important to talk to your healthcare team about any health issues or other medications you’re taking, including prescription medicines, over-the-counter medicines, vitamins, and herbal supplements. IBRANCE and other medicines may affect each other and cause side effects. Know the medicines you take. Keep a list of them to show your healthcare provider or pharmacist when you get a new medicine.

Additionally, before you take IBRANCE, tell your doctor about all of your medical conditions, including if you:

• have fever, chills, or any other signs or symptoms of infection
• have liver or kidney problems

Tell your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or plan to become pregnant; IBRANCE can harm your unborn baby. Females who are able to become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment and for at least 3 weeks after the last dose of IBRANCE. Your doctor may ask you to take a pregnancy test before you start treatment with IBRANCE. Males with female partners who can become pregnant should use effective birth control during treatment with IBRANCE for at least 3 months after the last dose of IBRANCE.

Tell your healthcare provider if you are breastfeeding or plan to breastfeed. It is not known if IBRANCE passes into your breast milk. Do not breastfeed during treatment with IBRANCE and for 3 weeks after the last dose.

Tips For Taking IBRANCE

Monitoring Considerations

To monitor side effects, your healthcare team will perform a blood test to check your complete blood count before starting IBRANCE and at the beginning of each cycle (month). For the first 2 cycles, you'll need a complete blood cell count on day 15 as well. Make sure to tell your healthcare team which day you start your first and second cycles, so they can schedule your day 15 appointment at the right time.

If your blood test results indicate low white blood cell counts (neutropenia ), your healthcare team may temporarily hold or adjust your dose. It’s not uncommon to have doses modified throughout treatment. Be sure to follow your dosing schedule exactly as your healthcare team prescribes and talk to your doctor if you have any questions about monitoring.

Tips To Help Manage Side Effects

Your doctor or nurse will want to know how you’re feeling and how well you’re tolerating your medication. Speak up if you have any side effects, as some can be serious—your doctor may adjust your dose or ask you to make adjustments to your lifestyle. Talking with your healthcare team can help you get better quality of care.

Additional Side Effect Tips

Before you make any changes to your diet or exercise routine, consult with your healthcare team. Also note that these tips are not specific to lBRANCE and that if you do experience any side effects, share them with your healthcare team early so that they can help you manage them.

It’s important to take steps to protect yourself against infection throughout your treatment. In addition to your healthcare team’s instructions, these tips may help:

• Tell your healthcare team right away if you have fever, chills, or any other signs or symptoms of infection
• Wash your hands often
• Avoid exposure to people who might be sick

If you’re nauseated or vomiting, talk to your healthcare team for instructions on how to deal with symptoms. Additionally, these tips may help:

• Try to eat 5 or 6 small meals a day instead of 3 large ones
• Since dehydration may contribute to nausea, sip water throughout the day
• Consider relaxation techniques, such as deep breathing

Check your mouth and tongue daily for sores, white spots, or infections, and inform your healthcare team about any changes right away. In addition to your healthcare team’s instructions, here are some tips:

• Avoid tobacco, drinking alcohol, and spicy and acidic foods
• Eat foods that are soft and easy to chew or swallow
• If you have mouth pain, sucking on ice chips or Popsicles^® may help

The physical and mental toll of treatment can leave you feeling tired or weak. In addition to your healthcare team’s instructions, these tips may help:

• Build a schedule to make sure you’re getting rest and activity
• Take short naps or breaks
• Try doing light exercise each day. But make sure you talk to your healthcare team before you make any changes